Automatic steam and water trap for steam-heating systems.



PATENTED 20, .1906.

I T. F. DEXTER. 1 AUTOMATIC STEAM AND- WATER 'TRARPOR STEAM HEATING SYSTEMS.

- APPLICATION FILED MAY ll, 1905.

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TnoMAs F. DEXTER, or r'nov nnnen,

AUTOMATIC S EAM Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed may 11, 905. Serial Ila-269,968.-

,RHODE ISLAND.

AND WATER TRAP FORhSTE AM-HEA' IING SYSTEMS.

Patented March' 20,1906.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be .1' t known that I TnoiuAs F. DEX'IER, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Providence, in the county of rdvidence and State of Rhode Island, have ili v'ented certain new and ments in Automatic Steam and Water Traps for Stetin-Heating Systems, of which the following isa'specilication.

oir0i1latio11-pipi ng of steam-limited radiators and it consists, essential] y, in the combination of a casing Iforminmthe trap-chamber provided w1th open inlet and outlet passages, a

central tubular member in direct open communlcation at the rough, a movable valve litted in or on the upper end of said tube, and ametallic'float member slidablv mounted on and inelosing the mal position lm'imng a fcol'itimiously-closed seat at the bottom and at the same time having a continuous. slightlv-open seat at the top for quantity of steam or air from the trap-clmmber downwardly through the center of the 'Iloatand tube into the out -letpassage, all as more'l'ully l1creinai'tel'set claimed. I

'l\/[' y' improved trap when in useisinterposed in and piped to the disclu'trge or outlet connec' tion of tlm radia'tor, so that the waste or water of condensation in the latter is conducted to and. from tl e trap to the vacuum-pump in the circulation system or is discharged into the atmosphere as desired. The interior (mnstructiouol'the trapissueh thatin starting 5 air passage at the top,-:tl1e

the circu latiol'l thefcold air is forced through a small normally open passage at the top of the then stationary orseated float and down- \var -lly therethrough into the pipe leading,

say, to the circulating-pump, saidopen.pas v sage being'sull'icicntly contracted, so as not to admit air or vapor i-mough to break the vacuum. The water (due to condensation of steam in the is screened in the trap-chamber and rises therein until its increasing'volume and buoyancy operates to-gradua'lly lift the float from the bottom seat, at automatically closes the said small open airwater itself. in the chamber meanwhile fiow n unobstructedly through the then uncovered bottom opening useful Improve in the return thereof is, cylindrical bottom with said ou tletpassage and having side. OPGIHIWS there mg a vertical opening in its 20 t screwed into said seat is the float when in its lowest or mir ter or endf of the float and forms a small norp, communicating with radiator) which follows-the which instant the float or discharge passage into the circulatingpipe. ,When the water inthe trap falls to the normal level again, scending float will automatically close the bottom or outlet passage and open'the top one, the device working automatically and of'water entering the trap. A'stop may be used to limit the-upward movement of the lost.

In the accompanying drawing, whichrepresents a vertical central sectional View of my improved trap A, the body creasing a and is provided at or the correspondingly demtermittingly, corresponding to the volume near the top' with an inlet-nozzle n and at the bottom with an outletmozzle n,said,nozzles pipes '13 and 0, re- The base has a central seat I), havcenter leading di- Integral with or a vertical tube 0, closed at its upperend and provided with suitable side openings (2 thcrethrough located. at its lower end.

helng't'apped to receive the spcctwcly.

rectly to the nozzle 7t.

lar partition m. extending vertically through its w nter, its upper and lower ends being faced oil to form flat surfaces or seats f f', respectively. The said stem stitutes a central support and guide for the float, at the same time forming'a small annular space t between the adjacent surfaces of .the parts in nude, as clearly shown.

or cap it rests upon thev closed top 0 when the float is normallvseated and tube c is pro- A valve The float.memberfis hollow and inside of suitable metal. It has a straight tube or'annu- 5 or tube 0 convided with a central guide-stem h, passing 7 downwardly through said top end. The latextends slightly abovethc upper surface mal ly open passage said space 25, openings 0 audoutletf0.

vertically-arranged removable screen or perforated cylinder-s surrounds the float, its upper end being turned outwardly to form a llat flange s,'in tu1'n resting upon .the inner annularllangc a ofthe casing. The trap is also provided with wardly-extending central stem b the lower end of the latter being adapted to en age with and limit the vertical movement of the. .float and valve h.

The action of my improved trap described as follows, assuming the inlet and outlet pipes 91 and'o to be suitably 'co11 a removable cover a, secured to the casing and, as drawn, having a down- A may be nected with aradiator and circulating-piping of a heating system: The float f when in its normal position, as represented in the drawi 'ing, permits'a limited quantity of air, &c., to

. the trap chamber it gradually rises therein,

.unobstructedly through said side openings 0 into the nozzle n and pipe 0. The outsay, to a level w, or to a point where its bu0yancy will lift the float and uncover the bottom seat I), at which instant thewater will pass flowing water quickly lowers its level and allows the float to again seat itself by gravity action, the operation bein intermittently repeated while the supply 0 water from the radiator is kept up. At substantially the instant that the float rises it engages the under side of valve h, thereby automatically closing the top inlet-passage p. The dotted lines infdicate an extreme lift of the float in case the water-level rises, say, to w, the rising float at the same time engaging with and carrying the valve upwardly until arrested by the stop The movable members automatically return to the bottom or normal position when the waterin the trap is sufficiently reduced or lowered, substantially as before described.

I claim as my invention 1. In a trap of the class describedhaving a closed casing provided with suitablydisposed inlet-passages, and an outlet or discharge passage located in the base of the casing, the combination therewith of a suitablyguided. vertically-movable interior float mem' ber normally seated on said base and surrounding said outlet-passage, the said float having a vertically arranged opening therethrough communicating with the said outlet, and a suitably-supported vertically-movable valve disposed at the top of the float and forming between the adjacent surfaces thereof a small normally open passage for the inflow of air frorn'the chamber via the float into the discharge-outlet, arranged whereby water accumulating in the trap causes the float to rise and close said air-passage and at the same time uncovers the bottom seat to permit the yvater to freely escape into the discharge-out- 2. The improved trap substantially as described, the same comprising a closed casing having inlet and outlet openings, an interior vertically-arranged a ertured' central tube mounted in the base 0 the casing and in open communication at the bottom with said outlet, a movable valve located at the u per end of the tube, a vertically-movable oat surrounding the tube and normally seated on said base, a normally open narrow passage 1) formed between the adjacent surfaces of the upper end of the float and said valve and communicating with the discharge-passage, and a screen interposed between the side walls of the casing and the exterior of the float, substantially as described.

3. The improved steam and water trap A, the same consisting of the chambered casing a, cap a secured thereto, inlet and discharge openings, the latter being formed in the base 0 the casing, and a removable screen 8, in combination with the vertical tube 0 closed at its upper end and being in direct communication at the bottom with said dischargeopening, lateral apertures c in said tube, a metallic float f surrounding the tube and normally seated on said base, a guided valve it normally resting upon the top of tube a and forming between it and the float a passage 1;

communicating with the discharge-opening,

and a stop for limiting the vertical movement of the float and valve members, all constructed, arranged and adapted for operation, substantially as herein described and for the purpose set forth.

' 4. In atrap provided with an inlet-passage, a continuously-open discharge-outlet in its base and a suitably-supported valve located .in the interior of the trap, the combination therewith of a guided normally stationary float having an opening therethrough and mterposed between said base and valve and forming a small opening at the top between the valve and float, which opening is automatically closed by the rising float when sufficient water accumulates in the trap, thereby at the same time uncovering the bottom or discharge outlet for the free escape of the said water.

Signed at Providence, Rhode Island, this 9th day of May, 1905.

Gno. H. REMrNGTou, C. E. PRICE. 

